7 new fitness trends to make getting into shape in 2014 fun

If you're already eyeing up the gym schedules and promising yourself that this is the year you'll work out how to use the juicer you got for Christmas last year, we have some good news.

Getting fit in 2014 promises to be a much easier affair that ever, with a whole host of new classes and trends making being healthy a much more fun proposition.

This year it's all about well-rounded fitness, strength and longevity, as well as combing a healthy body with a healthy mind.

We've rounded up some of the key workout trends and classes we're looking forward to trying out in the New Year.

1. Fierce Grace

This is a new movement in Bikram (hot) yoga. Created by top instructor Michelle Pernetta, it comes in five different level classes, for everyone from beginners to hardcore yogis. Classes last from 50 minutes to an hour and 45 to suit different lifestyles

“With Fierce Grace I have created the yoga class I always wanted to do myself," Michelle explains. "To Live Life with Fierce Grace means to develop your personal balance of male and female forces: strength and flexibility, effort and surrender, intensity and relaxation, and take these qualities into your life. The five classes are designed to have a balance between these forces and allow the practitioner to "self prescribe" what they need on any given day, to balance themselves and work on their weak areas. The timid can become brave just as the inflexible can become flexible."

Find out more.

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2. LifeScore at 37°

We've come a long way since the Bleep Test. This new, 45-minute test at 37° gyms measures your body fat, posture, gait, hydration, strength, body bass, flexibility, diet and activity profile. Then once you’ve got the result, you LifeScore practitioner will map out a customised pathway for success to get the best results fast.

Find out more.

3. Speedflex

Popular with athletes and fans of high intensity workouts, this seriously high calorie-burning class is perfect for getting the most out of your workout time. The 45 minute class revolves around seven unique Speedflex machines, which automatically respond to and create resistance levels based the amount of force you put in youself. This enables users of all levels to work out together, at their own pace, without the risk of injury, whilst exercising multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

You wear a heart monitor and interact with the group to get the most out of your session and thanks to the range of movements on the machine, you don't need to waste time stretching up and down.

Find out more.

4. Gear3D at Virgin Active

A new group activity on the gym floor at Virgin Active is the world’s first 3Dimensional resistance training programme. A group of up to eight people take place in the class which uses the next generation of gym frames - the Technogym Omnia - to combine resistance training with calorie burning (and afterburning, which we like the sound of).

Classes are drop-in at participating Virgin Active Gyms. Find out more.

5. Les Mills GRIT CARDIO

This 30-minute, (up to) 600 calorie burning workout isn't for the faint hearted, but if you're keen to get your workout packed into as short a time as possible, this is the one for you. It packs in some seriously intense reps to burn fat during the class and for hours after you've finished. Les Mills' GRIT programme also consists of STRENGTH and PLYO classes and is updated every three months to keep sessions fresh.

It's available at Nuffield Health Gyms and others around the country. Find out more.

6. LA20™ at LA Fitness

LA Fitness' offering to the high intenstity training market might be the shortest yet - classes of just 20 minutes.

Designed to get the heart pumping and torch calories, LA20™ Bootcamp and Crucial Cardio classes push the body to the limit of physical fitness by combining HIIT with resistance training and bodyweight exercises.

You can pick what to focus on - be in Legs, Bums and Tums or Abs and to challenge multiple muscle groups, you can choose to work out using the LA 20 Med Ball, Rower and Treadmill.

Find out more.

7. Zumba Step at Virgin Active

Take Zumba to a new level with its Step class. Still keeping the infectious beats that make it such a popular fitness party, this new class helps turn up the burn in targeted areas such as glutes and legs for a full-on lower-body sculpting workout.
 
Zumba Step classes are a balance of traditional fitness (30 percent), dance (40 percent) and step aerobic moves (30 percent) to encourage participants to use more energy to lift their body weight against gravity. In addition to a significant interval workout, Zumba Step strengthens muscles—specifically the lower body—while also aiding balance and coordination.

Find out more.